Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 H-NOX regulation of a histidine kinase by nitric oxide

Nitric oxide (NO) signaling in animals controls processes such as smooth muscle relaxation and neurotransmission by activation of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC). Prokaryotic homologues of the sGC heme domain, called H-NOX domains, have been identified and are generally found in a predicted operon in conjunction with a histidine kinase. Here, we show that an H-NOX protein (SO2144) from Shewanella oneidensis directly interacts with the sensor histidine kinase (SO2145), binds NO in a 5-coordinate complex similar to mammalian sGC, and in that form inhibits the activity of a histidine kinase (SO2145). We also describe the first account of NO formation by S. oneidensis under anaerobic growth conditions derived from nitrate and nitrite. These observations suggest that the S. oneidensis H-NOX and histidine kinase pair function as part of a novel two-component signaling pathway that is responsive to NO formation from higher nitrogen oxides used as electron acceptors when oxygen is low and thereby functioning as an environmental sensor.     

Discovery of a Nitric Oxide Responsive Quorum Sensing Circuit in Vibrio harveyi

Bacteria use small molecules to assess the density and identity of nearby organisms and formulate a response. This process, called quorum sensing (QS), commonly regulates bioluminescence, biofilm formation, and virulence. Vibrio harveyi have three described QS circuits. Each involves the synthesis of a molecule that regulates phosphorylation of its cognate receptor kinase. Each receptor exchanges phosphate with a common phosphorelay protein, LuxU, which ultimately regulates bioluminescence. Here, we show that another small molecule, nitric oxide (NO), participates in QS through LuxU. V. harveyi display a NO concentration-dependent increase in bioluminescence that is regulated by an hnoX gene. We demonstrate that H-NOX is a NO sensor and NO/H-NOX regulates phosphorylation of a kinase that transfers phosphate to LuxU. This study reveals the discovery of a fourth QS pathway in V. harveyi and suggests that bacteria use QS to integrate not only the density of bacteria but also other diverse information about their environment into decisions about gene expression.     

Nitric oxide modulates bacterial biofilm formation through a multicomponent cyclic-di-GMP signaling network

Nitric oxide (NO) signaling in vertebrates is well characterized and involves the heme-nitric oxide/oxygen-binding (H-NOX) domain of soluble guanylate cyclase as a selective NO sensor. In contrast, little is known about the biological role or signaling output of bacterial H-NOX proteins. Here, we describe a molecular pathway for H-NOX signaling in Shewanella oneidensis. NO stimulates biofilm formation by controlling the levels of the bacterial secondary messenger cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP). Phosphotransfer profiling was used to map the connectivity of a multicomponent signaling network that involves integration from two histidine kinases and branching to three response regulators. A feed-forward loop between response regulators with phosphodiesterase domains and phosphorylation-mediated activation intricately regulated c-di-GMP levels. Phenotypic characterization established a link between NO signaling and biofilm formation. Cellular adhesion may provide a protection mechanism for bacteria against reactive and damaging NO. These results are broadly applicable to H-NOX-mediated NO signaling in bacteria.     

蓝藻的二元信号传导系统

二元系统是细菌中主要的信号传导途径 ,磷酸根转移介导的信号途径使细胞得以感受各种环境刺激并产生应答。组氨酸蛋白质激酶的自动磷酸化将磷酸基团传给反应调节蛋白 ,反过来作为分子开关控制不同的效应物活性。蓝藻是地球上最早出现的光合自养原核生物 ,在长期的生物进化过程中 ,它们发展了一系列独特的形态和生理代谢机制 ,使其能在各种不同生境中生长、繁殖和扩增。研究蓝藻信号传导途径为阐明其高度的环境适应性提供了理论基础。     

Molecular and biochemical characterization of a novel two-component signal transduction system,amrA- amkA,involved in rifamycin SV production in Amycolatopsis mediterranei U32

Two-component and phosphorelay signal transduction systems are the major means by which bacteria recognize and respond to a variety of environmental stimuli. Although several model systems, including sporulation in Bacillus subtilis and chemotaxis in Escherichia coli, have been extensively studied, the two-component signal transduction systems in industrially important actinomycetes are not well studied. We report the molecular and biochemical characterization of a novel two-component signal system, amrA-amkA,from the rifamycin-SV-producing Amycolatopsis mediterranei U32. The deduced sequences of amkAand amrA contain all the structural features that are highly conserved in the typical bacterial histidine kinases and response regulators, respectively. BLAST analyses showed that AmrA and AmkA displayed high similarities to AfsQ1/AfsQ2 of Streptomyces coelicolor and MtrA/MtrB of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The amrAand amkA genes were over-expressed and the gene products were purified from E. coli. Biochemical studies showed that AmkA is able to autophosphorylate, supporting its functional assignment as a histidine kinase. That AmrA functions as the cognate response regulator for histidine kinase AmkA was demonstrated by in vitro phosphotransfer from [gamma-(32)P]ATP-labeled AmkA to AmrA. Rifamycin SV production was also decreased by 10-20% in amrAor amkA gene disruption mutants under the tested condition. Although the detailed regulatory mechanism is still unknown, this is the first report regarding the involvement of two-component signal systems in rifamycin biosynthesis in the genus Amycolatopsis.     

Interaction Analysis of a Two-Component System Using Nanodiscs

Two-component systems are the major means by which bacteria couple adaptation to environmental changes. All utilize a phosphorylation cascade from a histidine kinase to a response regulator, and some also employ an accessory protein. The system-wide signaling fidelity of two-component systems is based on preferential binding between the signaling proteins. However, information on the interaction kinetics between membrane embedded histidine kinase and its partner proteins is lacking. Here, we report the first analysis of the interactions between the full-length membrane-bound histidine kinase CpxA, which was reconstituted in nanodiscs, and its cognate response regulator CpxR and accessory protein CpxP. Using surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy in combination with interaction map analysis, the affinity of membrane-embedded CpxA for CpxR was quantified, and found to increase by tenfold in the presence of ATP, suggesting that a considerable portion of phosphorylated CpxR might be stably associated with CpxA in vivo. Using microscale thermophoresis, the affinity between CpxA in nanodiscs and CpxP was determined to be substantially lower than that between CpxA and CpxR. Taken together, the quantitative interaction data extend our understanding of the signal transduction mechanism used by two-component systems.     

H-NOX proteins in the virulence of pathogenic bacteria

Nitric oxide (NO) is a toxic gas encountered by bacteria as a product of their own metabolism or as a result of a host immune response. Non-toxic concentrations of NO have been shown to initiate changes in bacterial behaviors such as the transition between planktonic and biofilm-associated lifestyles. The heme nitric oxide/oxygen binding proteins (H-NOX) are a widespread family of bacterial heme-based NO sensors that regulate biofilm formation in response to NO. The presence of H-NOX in several human pathogens combined with the importance of planktonic–biofilm transitions to virulence suggests that H-NOX sensing may be an important virulence factor in these organisms. Here we review the recent data on H-NOX NO signaling pathways with an emphasis on H-NOX homologs from pathogens and commensal organisms. The current state of the field is somewhat ambiguous regarding the role of H-NOX in pathogenesis. However, it is clear that H-NOX regulates biofilm in response to environmental factors and may promote persistence in the environments that serve as reservoirs for these pathogens. Finally, the evidence that large subgroups of H-NOX proteins may sense environmental signals besides NO is discussed within the context of a phylogenetic analysis of this large and diverse family.     

Two-component signal transduction pathways regulating growth and cell cycle progression in a bacterium: a system-level analysis

Two-component signal transduction systems, comprised of histidine kinases and their response regulator substrates, are the predominant means by which bacteria sense and respond to extracellular signals. These systems allow cells to adapt to prevailing conditions by modifying cellular physiology, including initiating programs of gene expression, catalyzing reactions, or modifying protein–protein interactions. These signaling pathways have also been demonstrated to play a role in coordinating bacterial cell cycle progression and development. Here we report a system-level investigation of two-component pathways in the model organism Caulobacter crescentus. First, by a comprehensive deletion analysis we show that at least 39 of the 106 two-component genes are required for cell cycle progression, growth, or morphogenesis. These include nine genes essential for growth or viability of the organism. We then use a systematic biochemical approach, called phosphotransfer profiling, to map the connectivity of histidine kinases and response regulators. Combining these genetic and biochemical approaches, we identify a new, highly conserved essential signaling pathway from the histidine kinase CenK to the response regulator CenR, which plays a critical role in controlling cell envelope biogenesis and structure. Depletion of either cenK or cenR leads to an unusual, severe blebbing of cell envelope material, whereas constitutive activation of the pathway compromises cell envelope integrity, resulting in cell lysis and death. We propose that the CenK–CenR pathway may be a suitable target for new antibiotic development, given previous successes in targeting the bacterial cell wall. Finally, the ability of our in vitro phosphotransfer profiling method to identify signaling pathways that operate in vivo takes advantage of an observation that histidine kinases are endowed with a global kinetic preference for their cognate response regulators. We propose that this system-wide selectivity insulates two-component pathways from one another, preventing unwanted cross-talk.     

Split Histidine Kinases Enable Ultrasensitivity and Bistability in Two-Component Signaling Networks

Bacteria sense and respond to their environment through signaling cascades generally referred to as two-component signaling networks. These networks comprise histidine kinases and their cognate response regulators. Histidine kinases have a number of biochemical activities: ATP binding, autophosphorylation, the ability to act as a phosphodonor for their response regulators, and in many cases the ability to catalyze the hydrolytic dephosphorylation of their response regulator. Here, we explore the functional role of “split kinases” where the ATP binding and phosphotransfer activities of a conventional histidine kinase are split onto two distinct proteins that form a complex. We find that this unusual configuration can enable ultrasensitivity and bistability in the signal-response relationship of the resulting system. These dynamics are displayed under a wide parameter range but only when specific biochemical requirements are met. We experimentally show that one of these requirements, namely segregation of the phosphatase activity predominantly onto the free form of one of the proteins making up the split kinase, is met in Rhodobacter sphaeroides. These findings indicate split kinases as a bacterial alternative for enabling ultrasensitivity and bistability in signaling networks. Genomic analyses reveal that up 1.7% of all identified histidine kinases have the potential to be split and bifunctional.     

Bacterial histidine kinase as signal sensor and transducer

Adaptation to an environmental stress is essential for cell survival in all organisms, from E. coli to human. To respond to changes in their surroundings, bacteria utilize two-component systems (TCSs), also known as histidyl-aspartyl phosphorelay (HAP) systems that consist of a histidine kinase (HK) sensor and a cognate response regulator (RR). While mammals developed complex signaling systems involving serine/threonine/tyrosine kinases in stress response mechanisms, bacterial TCS/HAP systems represent a simple but elegant prototype of signal transduction machineries. HKs are known as a seductive target for anti-bacterial therapeutic development, because of their significance in pathological virulence in some bacteria such as Salmonella enterica. Recent molecular and structural studies have shed light on the molecular basis of the signaling mechanism of HK sensor kinases. This review will focus on recent advancements in structural investigation of signal sensing and transducing mechanisms by HKs, which is critical to our understanding of bacterial biology and pathology.     

Is PhoR–PhoP partner fidelity strict? PhoR is required for the activation of the pho regulon in Streptomyces coelicolor

Two-component regulatory systems play a key role in the cell metabolism adaptation to changing nutritional and environmental conditions. The fidelity between the two cognate proteins of a two-component system is important since it determines whether a specific response regulator integrates the signals transmitted by different sensor kinases. Phosphate regulation in Streptomyces coelicolor is mostly mediated by the PhoR-PhoP two-component system. Previous studies elucidated the mechanisms that control phosphate regulation as well as the genes directly regulated by the response regulator PhoP (pho regulon) in this organism. However, the role of the histidine kinase PhoR in Streptomyces coelicolor had not been unveiled so far. In this work, we report the characterization of a non-polar ΔphoR deletion mutant in S. coelicolor that keeps its native promoter. Induction of the phoRP operon was dependent upon phosphorylation of PhoP, but the ΔphoR mutant expressed phoP at a basal level. RT-PCR and reporter luciferase assays demonstrated that PhoR plays a key role in the activation of the pho regulon in this organism. Our results point towards a strict cognate partner specificity in terms of the phosphorylation of PhoP by PhoR thus corroborating the tight interaction between the two-components of this system.     

Genetic and transcriptional analysis of absA, an antibiotic gene cluster-linked two-component system that regulates multiple antibiotics in Streptomyces coelicolor

In Streptomyces coelicolor, the AbsA1-AbsA2 two-component system regulates the expression of multiple antibiotic gene clusters. Here, we show that the response regulator encoded by the absA2 gene is a negative regulator of these antibiotic gene clusters. A genetic analysis shows that the phosphorylated form of the AbsA2 response regulator (phospho-AbsA2), generated by the cognate AbsA1 sensor histidine kinase, is required for normal growth phase regulation of antibiotic synthesis. In the absence of phospho-AbsA2, antibiotics are produced earlier and more abundantly. Overexpression of AbsA1 also deregulates antibiotic synthesis, apparently shifting the AbsA1 protein from a kinase-active to a phospho-AbsA2 phosphatase-active form. The absA1 and absA2 genes, which are adjacent, are located in one of the antibiotic gene clusters that they regulate, the cluster for the calcium-dependent antibiotic (CDA). The absA genes themselves are growth phase regulated, with phospho-AbsA2 responsible for growth phase-related positive autoregulation. We discuss the possible role and mechanism of AbsA-mediated regulation of antibiotic synthesis in the S. coelicolor life cycle.     

Cross-talk suppression between the CpxA-CpxR and EnvZ-OmpR two-component systems in E. coli

Many bacteria possess large numbers of two-component signalling systems, which are composed of histidine kinase-response regulator pairs. The high level of sequence similarity between some systems raises the possibility of undesired cross-talk between a histidine kinase and a non-cognate response regulator. Although molecular specificity ensures that phospho-transfer occurs primarily between correct partners, even a low level of inappropriate cross-talk could lead to unacceptable levels of noise or interference in signal transduction. To explore mechanisms that provide insulation against such interference, we have examined cross-talk between the histidine kinase CpxA and non-cognate response regulator OmpR in Escherichia coli. Our results show that there are two mechanisms that suppress cross-talk between these two proteins, which depend on the corresponding cognate partners CpxR and EnvZ and on the bifunctional nature of the histidine kinases CpxA and EnvZ. When cross-talk is detectable, we find it is independent of CpxA stimulus. We also show that cross-talk suppression leads to mutational robustness, i.e. it masks the effects of mutations that would otherwise lead to increased cross-talk. The mechanisms that provide insulation against interference described here may be applicable to many other two-component systems.     

Role of serine/threonine phosphatase (SP-STP) in Streptococcus pyogenes physiology and virulence

Reversible phosphorylation is the key mechanism regulating several cellular events in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In prokaryotes, signal transduction is perceived to occur primarily via the two-component signaling system involving histidine kinases and cognate response regulators. Although an alternative regulatory pathway controlled by the eukaryote-type serine/threonine kinase (Streptococcus pyogenes serine/threonine kinase; SP-STK) has been shown to modulate bacterial growth, division, adherence, invasion, and virulence in group A Streptococcus (GAS; S. pyogenes), the precise role of the co-transcribing serine/threonine phosphatase (SP-STP) has remained enigmatic. In this context, this is the first report describing the construction and characterization of non-polar SP-STP mutants in two different strains of Type M1 GAS. The STP knock-out mutants displayed increased bacterial chain lengths in conjunction with thickened cell walls, significantly reduced capsule and hemolysin production, and restoration of the phenotypes postcomplementation. The present study also reveals important contribution of cognately regulated-reversible phosphorylation by SP-STK/SP-STP on two major response regulators of two-component systems, WalRK and CovRS. We also demonstrate a distinct role of SP-STP in terms of expression of surface proteins and SpeB in a strain-specific manner. Further, the attenuation of virulence in the absence of STP and its restoration only in the complemented strains that were generated by the use of a low copy plasmid and not by a high copy one emphasize not only the essential role of STP in virulence but also highlight the tightly regulated SP-STP/SP-STK-mediated cognate functions. SP-STP thus is an important regulator of GAS virulence and plays a critical role in GAS pathogenesis.     

Systematic dissection and trajectory-scanning mutagenesis of the molecular interface that ensures specificity of two-component signaling pathways

Two-component signal transduction systems enable bacteria to sense and respond to a wide range of environmental stimuli. Sensor histidine kinases transmit signals to their cognate response regulators via phosphorylation. The faithful transmission of information through two-component pathways and the avoidance of unwanted cross-talk require exquisite specificity of histidine kinase-response regulator interactions to ensure that cells mount the appropriate response to external signals. To identify putative specificity-determining residues, we have analyzed amino acid coevolution in two-component proteins and identified a set of residues that can be used to rationally rewire a model signaling pathway, EnvZ-OmpR. To explore how a relatively small set of residues can dictate partner selectivity, we combined alanine-scanning mutagenesis with an approach we call trajectory-scanning mutagenesis, in which all mutational intermediates between the specificity residues of EnvZ and another kinase, RstB, were systematically examined for phosphotransfer specificity. The same approach was used for the response regulators OmpR and RstA. Collectively, the results begin to reveal the molecular mechanism by which a small set of amino acids enables an individual kinase to discriminate amongst a large set of highly-related response regulators and vice versa. Our results also suggest that the mutational trajectories taken by two-component signaling proteins following gene or pathway duplication may be constrained and subject to differential selective pressures. Only some trajectories allow both the maintenance of phosphotransfer and the avoidance of unwanted cross-talk.     

Identification of a novel two component system in Thermotoga maritima. Complex stoichiometry and crystallization

Two-component signal transduction systems, comprised of histidine kinase and its cognate response regulator, are the predominant mechanism by which microorganisms sense and respond to changes in many different environmental conditions. Different Thermotoga maritima histidine kinases have been used as prototypes; among them, the orphan TM0853 has been presented as a structural model of class I histidine kinases. We used phosphotransfer assays to identify TM0468 as the partner response regulator of TM0853. Since full-length TM0853 can be produced as a soluble protein in Escherichia coli, it was used to analyze the union stoichiometry in an intact two-component system for the first time. We demonstrate that TM0853, or its cytoplasmic catalytic portion, form a 1:1 complex with TM0468 with native PAGE. The complex band is unique, even in the presence of an excess of each individual protein, indicating that the union is cooperative. We corroborated these findings by using ultracentrifugation assays. Therefore, we propose that the general mode of interaction in an orthodox two-component system may be the stoichiometric and cooperative complex between a dimeric histidine kinase and two response regulators. Finally, we have been able to produce protein crystals of the complex between the cytoplasmic portion of TM0853 and TM0468 that diffract to 2.8 A Bragg spacing.     

Characterization of the BaeSR two-component system from Salmonella Typhimurium and its role in ciprofloxacin-induced mdtA expression

Two-component systems are one of the most prevalent mechanisms by which bacteria sense, respond and adapt to changes in their environment. The activation of a sensor histidine kinase leads to autophosphorylation of a conserved histidine residue followed by transfer of the phosphoryl group to a cognate response regulator in an aspartate residue. The search for antibiotics that inhibit molecular targets has led to study prokaryotic two-component systems. In this study, we characterized in vitro and in vivo the BaeSR two-component system from Salmonella Typhimurium and evaluated its role in mdtA regulation in response to ciprofloxacin treatment. We demonstrated in vitro that residue histidine 250 is essential for BaeS autophosphorylation and aspartic acid 61 for BaeR transphosphorylation. By real-time PCR, we showed that mdtA activation in the presence of ciprofloxacin depends on both members of this system and that histidine 250 of BaeS and aspartic acid 61 of BaeR are needed for this. Moreover, the mdtA expression is directly regulated by binding of BaeR at the promoter region, and this interaction is enhanced when the protein is phosphorylated. In agreement, a BaeR mutant unable to phosphorylate at aspartic acid 61 presents a lower affinity with the mdtA promoter.